6 Major Types of Cofferdam | Construction methods | Uses

What is Cofferdam:
Cofferdam foundation is define as a temporary structure which is used to prevent soil erosion
in the construction area as well as to prevent water from entering the excavated area when
excavation is to be done by digging deeper along the river bank or coast.

Which points are kept in mind for cofferdam foundation construction?

The following points should be kept in mind in the construction of cofferdam.

• Cofferdam should be watertight as possible. It should be inserted to a hard level in the

ground. Often a layer of concrete is laid at the bottom in the cofferdam.

• The design of Cofferdam should be done for maximum water level as well as other
destructive forces. Due to that it is safe in case of bursting, overturning, sliding.

• Water discharged by cofferdam may be above ground or below ground. This water
can be shallow or deep, stady or flowing.

• Materials like clay, wood, steel and concrete are used for the construction of
cofferdam.

• Cofferdam is usually built on the work site.

Necessity of cofferdams:

The need of cofferdams construction arises in the following situations:

• When construction is to be done on the banks of a dry or watery river or between

rivers.
 • When construction is to be done on the beach.

• When construction is to be done in the middle of the lake or on the shore.

• When deep excavation is to be done at a place of deep granular soil.

• When deep excavation is to be done on clay soil.

• When excavation is to be done below ground level.

• When there is a possibility of landslides due to deep excavation.

• When private or government property is located near the excavation.

• When water is likely to seep into the excavation from the surrounding area.

Uses of cofferdams:

• To facilitate the work of laying piles in the ground.

• Laying of raft and mesh foundation
• Laying of Grillage foundation.
• To construct the foundations of bembankments, piers and abutments.
• Surround the work area and prevent water from entering the space.
• To provide a working platform when water leaks during the foundation excavation
of buildings.
• To take out a submerged ship from water and to encircle the place.
• To provide working space without damaging the surrounding structures such as
buildings, pipeline, sewer line etc.
• To construct the foundation and top of the concrete dam.

Factors affecting selection of cofferdams:

Cofferdams can be of different types. But what kind of cofferdam to build in which place
depends on the following things:

• The area to be protected by cofferdam, i.e. small area or large area.

• The height of the water at the place where the cofferdam is to be constructed i.e.
shallow water or deep water.
• The state of water i.e. water is stady or flowing.
• The type of velocity of water flow i.e. water flows with slow velocity or fast
velocity.
• Type of soil at the bottom of the cofferdam, Pervious layer or Impervious layer.
• Availability of Materials at work.
• The possibility of floods as well as tides and their height.
• Increase in flow velocity due to obstruction of water flow from construction of
Cofferdam and possibility of erosion of bottom.
 • Facilitation of transport of materials and machinery required for construction of
Cofferdam.

Types of cofferdams:
The different types of cofferdams are as follows:

1. Earthfill cofferdam
2. Rockfill cofferdam
3. Crib cofferdam
4. Single wall cofferdam
5. Double wall cofferdam
6. Cellular cofferdam

1. Earthen cofferdam:

This is the simplest type of cofferdam. It is used when the water depth is shallow, 1.2 m to
1.5 m and the velocity of water flow is slow.

• In this type of cofferdam, an earth embankment is built around the area to be

surrounded. The top width of the embankment should not be less than 1m.
• Its water side slope 3/2:1 and the inner side slope are kept at 2:1.
• Earth embankment is made from a mixture of clay and sand or clay and gravel.
• Pitching is done by arranging boulder (large stone) on the slope of the water side to
prevent water damage to the embankment.
• Often in the middle of the embankment, Steel sheet piles are inserted to an impervious
level of soil below the embankment, to prevent water from entering through the
permeable layer of soil.
• The height of the embankment is kept 0.6 m above the water level for safety.
• In the work place, a drain is kept near the embankment from which water is pumped
out.
2. Rockfill cofferdam:

• This type of cofferdam is useful when the water depth is up to 3.0 in and the water
flow is turbulent. In this type of cofferdam stones are used instead of clay in the bed.
Such cofferdams are cheaper where stones can be easily found.
• The disadvantage of such a cofferdam is that it is not impervious. Where the water
depth is low, an impermeable layer of soil is spread over the water side of
embankment.
• Clay particles fill the cavities between the stones and gradually form waterlogged
structures.
• The slope of its sides can be kept as wide as 1:1.
• Often the core wall or steel sheet pile inserted between the cofferdam and the bottom
of the cofferdam to an impervious level of soil to prevent water from entering in the
embankment.
• Core walls are made of clayey soil or cement concrete.

3. Crib Cofferdam:
This type of cofferdam is made of wooden cube. Crib `is a framework made of wooden
horizontal and cross beam alignment. The film is filled with stones, gravel or clay to increase
the stability of the crib against overturning or sliding.

The following conditions are favourable for this type of cofferdam:

• Less work space.
• The river bed is hard.
• If the water depth is high.
• The water flow is eddy type.
• Wood is readily available.

4. Single wall cofferdam:

• This type of cofferdam is used when the area to be surrounded is small and the water
depth is high. Such cofferdams can additionally be used up to a depth of 25 m water.
• Guide piles are inserted on the periphery of the area to be enclosed.
• The spacing of such guide piles is kept at 3m.
• Guide piles are usually made of wood. Steel piles can also be used if the water depth
is high. The guide piles are then bolted horizontally at appropriate distances by
means of wooden bolts (Wales) bolts.
• Then sheet piles are applied with strut and bracing. Wood sheet piles are used for
water depth up to 10 m, steel sheet piles for water depth more than 10 m.
• On the inside and outside of the sheet, half-filled bags of sand are rocked to increase
the durability of the cofferdam.
• Water is pumped out of the enclosed area and foundation work is started.
5. Double wall cofferdam:

A single wall cofferdam is costly when the enclosure area is large and the water depth is high.
as the. The thickness of the components like sheet piles Strut, Wales, etc. is much more
required to withstand against water pressure. In such a situation a double wall cofferdam is
useful.

There are two types of double wall cofferdams:

• Ohio type cofferdam
• Wood or steel sheeting cofferdam with Wales and tie rods.

i. Ohio type cofferdam:

This type of cofferdam is called Ohio river type wood sheeting cofferdam. As it was first
used for construction over the Ohio river in the United States. It can be built very cheaply
and quickly.
It is used in hard layers where erosion is unlikely. Such cofferdams are suitable for deep
water or fast water flow.

6. Cellular cofferdam:
This type of cofferdam is useful when the enclosure area is large and the water depth is
high. Cofferdams are used in the construction of water structure such as boilers, pushes,
etc.
There are two main types of cellular cofferdam:
• Circular type cellular cofferdam
• Diaphragm cellular cofferdam
i. Circular type cellular cofferdam:

In Circular Cofferdam, circular cells are inserted into the ground to a certain depth above the
boundary area.
Such a cell is connected by an arc of a circle. The radius of such an arc is 2.5 m. The arc
forms an angle of 30° to 45° instead of contact with the circular cell. The cell is filled with
clay, sand or gravel.

The advantages of this type of cofferdam are as follows:

• Each cell can be filled to the head independently before the construction of the second
cell and in this way the construction of the second cell is not distorted so the
construction of the cell can be started from a different point.
• Each cell behaves as a self supporting independent unit.
• Less steel per unit length is used in the construction of a circular cell compared to a
diaphragm type cell.

Cellular cofferdam is suitable for heights of 10 to 15 m. The diameter of the cell is kept from
10 to 15 m and the distance from the center to the center is kept from 12 to 18 m. The bottom
of the river is hard rocky and the top layer of clay or silt is more suitable for such cofferdam.

ii. Diaphragm type cellular cofferdam:

In this type of cofferdam, steel sheet piles are attached to each other to form a series of arc.
Straight walls are attached to each other with arc of sheet piles on both sides. Usually the
radius of the arch is kept equal to the distance between the two diaphragm walls.

In order to create uniform tension between the diaphragm and the arch, building materials
like sand, gravel etc. are filled in it after immersing the cell in water to the required depth.
In all cells the filing of material should be done at the same rate up to the same height so as
not to wrap the diaphragm.